1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to hydrogen generating devices and, more particularly to devices using solar energy to dissociate water molecules. The hydrogen thus generated may then be liquefied and stored for later use as a clean-burning fuel.
2. Description of the prior art
The uses of solar radiation as an energy source are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,330 to Abbott, for example, teaches a distilling apparatus in which solar energy is used to heat water to its boiling point. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,931 to Coffey et al teaches a still which uses solar radiation as the power source for the distillation process. Typical of other devices using solar energy are hot water heaters for home or commercial use and a variety of solar heat collectors.
While these earlier developments use solar energy as a power source for various processes, they lack the aspects of the present invention wherein solar radiation is used as the exclusive power source in a hydrogen generating device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for generating hydrogen using solar energy as the only power source.
A further object of the present invention is a device using the energy from solar radiation to dissociate water molecules.
An additional object of the present invention is a device for storing solar energy by collecting the hydrogen products produced from the decomposition of water for later use as a fuel.
These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and claims and when taken in connection with the attached drawings to which they relate.